Just Doing My Job
by N. E. Shaw
Summary: An alien bounty hunter attacks Rocky on his last day as a Ranger.
1. Chapter One

_[PRZ] "Just Doing My Job" (Cast, Rocky) [PG-13]._ Saban and Fox, etc. You all know the drill. Some preliminary notes: This story was written before I saw T:APRM and knew why Rocky was leaving the Rangers. This is an alternate timeline story that involves that basic event in a different form. Sorry it seems so vague here, but perhaps one day I'll make a change and actually explain where he's going. :) This is also my first real fanfic and I know there are some holes here and there, but I ask that you bear with me. Thanks be to Rachel, Akiko and everyone who praised me on my first fic, 'cause there's lots more in store. 

"Just Doing My Job"   
By N. E. Shaw   
date misplaced (between '95 and '97) 

* * *

Kat dashed towards the tree as fast as her legs would take her. She knew she had to conceal herself before _It_ arrived. It was a sunny, slightly breezy day in Angel Grove Park, and the sky was a radiant blue...but there were other, more urgent things on Kat's mind.

When she got to the thick, elderly oak, she swung around it and flattened her back against the bark, leaning out to peek back the way she came.

No sign of It.

There was still time for the others.

A few meters away, Kat saw Adam run up to a large, low, bush and scramble under it. He lay perfectly still and tried to control his loud, rapid breathing.

Tanya was next to bolt onto the scene. She headed for a tree with slender, strong branches only eight feet from the ground. She never stopped running, and leapt up to grasp a branch and swing herself into the concealing greenery.

Kat checked to make sure neither of her friends were visible, and nodded to herself, satisfied that they were safe. Then she saw Rocky standing out in the open. He was turning in a circle, frantically searching for a place to hide.

"Rocky!" Kat hissed. "Hurry up, _It's_ coming!"

The muscular teenager was about to panic, when he saw a bank of porta-potties set up for the upcoming Outdoor Summer Dance. With a powerful sprint and a flying leap, he dove behind the toilets and lay as still as he could.

The small section of the park grew silent. No one moved. No one breathed. No one dared peek out of their hiding places.

Then....they heard _It_ coming.

"Ready or not...!" Tommy cried. "...here I come!"

Kat grinned to herself. She knew this wasn't the best of hiding spots, but she owed Adam a favor, and had promised to be bait so that he could get home-free without too much trouble. She listened to the soft sound of Tommy's footsteps as he approached her tree.

Home Free was the big stone fountain a hundred feet back in the direction they had all come from. It was a beautiful black stone monument, with a wide, glittering pool filled with water and spare change....and right now it was the only goal on Kat's mind.

Tommy advanced.

_A little bit further...come on, Luv....keep coming..._ she thought. Her heart beat faster as he came closer. She could have sworn she could smell him.

Then, when she had judged him to be just close enough, she let out a giggle and bolted out from behind the tree, heading for Home. Startled, Tommy grinned and bolted after her.

They raced across the grass in a mad dash for the fountain. Laughing euphorically, Kat glanced behind her as they gained speed. He had an advantage because he wasn't already tired, and he closed the gap quickly, reaching out his hand. Kat was just leaping onto the wide concrete platform surrounding the fountain, when she felt his hand clamp onto her shoulder. He yanked her backwards.

As she stumbled with the loss of speed, he caught her up in his arms and laughed. They never stopped moving though, and with a heavy slosh of water, the pair tumbled into the pool.

Tanya, Rocky, and Adam poked their heads out and looked in the direction of all the noise. Adam rolled his eyes and Rocky shook his head as Tommy and Kat wrestled and splashed in the fountain. As the three dry Rangers walked up to the fountain, they were still laughing hysterically in the water.

Tanya folded her arms and looked down at her friends.

"Well, 'It'..." she huffed, glaring at Tommy. "..are you two quite finished? The rest of us are feeling a little left out up here."

Kat magically produced a dripping quarter from Tommy's ear.

Tommy put on a straight face. "Well guys, you know you're welcome to join us anytime."

Now Kat splashed him and he dunked her, starting more laughter. Rocky stifled an amused snort. As the three standing rangers turned to leave, Adam called back "Oh by the way, Kat...thanks for the favor!"

* * *

The Pink and Red Rangers were still damp as the five sat down under a tree a little while later. They were exhausted from two more rounds of Hide-and-Seek and a game of Manhunt, and all were ready for a lazy afternoon of basking under the California sun. Rocky pulled out a large bag of Skittles and spilled them out on a hanky in the center of their circle.

"Oo! Candy!" Tanya sing-songed.

"Everybody help yourselves." Rocky said, gesturing for them all to take a handful. "It's on me."

Kat took a few and popped them into her mouth. "That's nice, Rocky. You didn't have to do that."

"Ah, no problem," he replied, smoothing out the bag in his hands and staring at it. "I thought I'd make my last day a little better than it would have been." Tanya smiled softly at him and they all accepted his answer. They fell silent and enjoyed his treat--and the beginning of their last afternoon together.

Rocky put a few tart, chewy grape Skittles into his mouth and sighed quietly in contentment. This was the perfect way to spend this afternoon. He was in his favorite place, with his best friends, under a perfect sky, eating his favorite snack. The breeze played with their hair and rustled the trees above. The sun warmed their backs and dried out Tommy and Kat once and for all. At a moment like this, they were too close to need words to express their friendship. Looking at them all, Rocky wondered if he would ever have something so special as this again.

Before he knew it, a tear escaped his heart and rolled down his cheek. "Rocky...?" Kat saw the tear before he could brush it away. She was sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Tommy, directly opposite Rocky, but now she sat up and looked at Zeo Ranger Three with concern. Adam was fighting a lump in his throat too, and he conspicuously tried to swallow it.

They found themselves all choking up and sniffling.

"Wow...." Tommy gave a short laugh and palmed his eyes. "...that didn't take much, did it?"

They shook their heads in agreement.

"Rocky started it." Tanya mock-complained through her tears, and they laughed a little more. Then there was another pause.

"Oh what the hell..." she said and scooted over to him, wrapping her arms around him carefully. "We're all gonna miss you Rocky. There's nobody in the world like you." she said, her voice wavering. He hugged back silently, and squeezed his eyes shut against the tears. Adam hugged him next, whispering, "You're one in a million pal. Thanks for bein' my friend." The Green Ranger clapped Rocky on the back once and pulled away. Then Kat got up and put her arms around his neck, kissing him gently on the cheek. Neither said a word, and she took an unsteady breath as she released him, managing a smile.

Now Tommy and Rocky caught eyes across the circle. Tommy bit his lip and nodded slightly as his brown eyes glistened. "No one'll ever forget you Rocko..." he used his friend's fond nickname. "..you've saved lives more times than I can count. Including all of ours." The others nodded or smiled. Tommy went on, "Thanks for all your help."

Both boys got to their knees and met in the middle of the circle, exchanging a brisk embrace.

"Promise you'll take care of yourself..." Tommy said.

"I will, man." Rocky replied, and they separated with a smile.

Tommy sat back down with Kat resting her head against his shoulder. Tanya and Adam moved back to their places and Rocky returned to his spot, sighing and wiping his eyes.

"What now?" Kat giggled softly.

"You scattered the Skittles, people..." lamented Tanya, leaning forward to carefully pick them up, and they laughed a little more.

"I'll tell you what now..." Rocky said. "..we all go get ready for the dance. It's in two hours."

He was right. It was five o'clock. Technicians were arriving in the big clearing across the park with truckloads of equipment. Speakers and floodlights were being unloaded and cables were being strung around.

They all got to their feet.

"Wait until you see the shoes I bought for this dance." Kat said. "They match that skirt I showed you Tanya."

Tommy raised his eyebrows in interest.

"I'm gonna wear that crazy '80's jacket we found at the Value Village." said Tanya. Adam raised his eyebrows as well. Then, remembering, Tanya held out the hanky full of Skittles to Rocky, but he shook his head. "Keep 'em." he said.

"You sure?"

"Positive. Now let's get out of here."

They glanced at each other and smiles spread all around as they trooped out of the park.

* * *

That night, within a wide circle of boulder-sized speakers, music pounded and hundreds of teenagers danced. Sure enough, the circle of five was there, dressed in their hottest clothes. Rocky was making sure he slow-danced with every girl he knew and said a proper goodbye to each.

Then he spotted someone he didn't know. Walking alone, among the party-goers, was a tall, slender girl with long, platinum hair and almost unnaturally blue eyes. She wore a form-fitting black dress that showed off her model-like figure. Her face was pretty, but solemn and cold. She didn't look like his type.

Rocky watched her a moment as she headed for the drink table, and decided not to approach her. He still had to dance with Jamie, Judy, Susan, Kaye, Faye, Karen, Delna, Victoria, Tierra, Megan...

As he turned to look for his next dance partner, the girl lifted her head in his direction. They caught each other's eyes for a moment but Rocky broke the glance before it became anything meaningful. Then he left.

The girl's eyes lingered on him a moment. Then, with a swift hand, she proceeded to remove a big whiskey bottle from her bag and dump its contents into the punch bowl. No one saw her, and she immediately hid herself in the crowd to watch.

* * *

A few hours later, outside the "dance floor", the Rangers met again.

"What a _blast!_" Tanya declared. She and Kat were pumped from all the excitement, and the two were giggling uncontrollably.

Adam, Tommy and Rocky looked at them suspiciously. They were almost delirious, laughing and stumbling around. There were other people nearby acting the same, or worse.

"What's with everybody all of a sudden." Adam wondered out loud. Tommy shook his head. The dance's previous friendly atmosphere was beginning to deteriorate. People were getting loud and obnoxious, and as the guys watched, a fight nearly broke out between three girls nearby. It was intercepted quickly though.

"This is weird." Tommy was shaking his head.

Then Tanya became all seriousness, pulling Kat close. "Hey Kat," she said mysteriously. "the password....is..."

She whispered something and Kat snorted with laughter, tripping on a clump of grass. Tommy caught her and tried to set her on her feet but she didn't cooperate. He lowered her down and watched the two girls fall into a fit of hysterics.

"I don't like this one bit." he said.

"Neither do I." Rocky agreed, staring in amused wonderment.

Adam spoke up then. He was on his toes, peering back toward the dance floor. "I think I know what's going on." he said. "How long of these two been hanging out at the drink table?"

The answer hit all of them at the same moment.

"Somebody spiked the punch."

Kat and Tanya jumped up at that moment. They slurred something about needing another drink and made to leave, but Tommy gently grabbed them and held them back.

"Whoa, ladies! I think we've had plenty of punch for today...."

But Kat pulled out of his grip. "Lighten up!" she purred. "I'm a big girl..." and she slapped him on the behind and ran off with Tanya in tow.

Tommy stared after them, speechless. Adam and Rocky glanced at each other in surprise, and then stifled a mutual snicker.

Tommy blushed beet red.

* * *

They didn't see the girls for the rest of the night. Rocky finished checking names off his list, and they all kept an eye on the drink table, but there was no sign of Kat or Tanya. There was no further sign of the blonde girl Rocky had told them about either, even though all three guys were on the lookout for her now.

The next morning, they found the Pink and Yellow Rangers in the MedLab at the Power Chamber, suffering from killer hangovers.

Kat lay curled on the bed, still in her party clothes, hugging her middle. She had her eyes closed against the nausea. Tommy approached her and leaned on the edge of the mattress.

"Mornin', Wild Woman." he said, smiling sympathetically.

She only whimpered at him.

He pulled up a stool and sat down. "They sure make good punch for these dances, huh?"

She mumbled, "I feel like shit."

"No kidding, you were plastered."

She opened her eyes to glare at him. "Quit rubbing it in, Mr. Clean."

Alpha approached finally, shuffling on his big feet, with a hypo-syringe in his hand. "Here you are, Katherine..." he said in his precise, tinny, pleasant voice. "This should do the trick."

Kat sat up with some difficulty, and tried to focus her glazed eyes on the syringe. Tommy kept her from drooping back to the bed as Alpha injected the grey serum into her upper arm.

"Owch." She mumbled miserably, rubbing the spot.

"What is that stuff, Alpha?" Tommy inquired. The robot handed him the syringe to look at.

"It's a mixture of Jubiliune Lilac extract and alcohol. In simple terms, the alcohol provides a sample of the enemy molecules, and the Lilac attacks, soothing the symptoms. The broken-down particles leave the bloodstream within hours."

Tanya had already received her injection and was delighted to feel the stomach-sickness fading. She sat on the bed with her legs dangling over and Adam and Rocky standing nearby, teasing her about her first hangover. She was too relieved to pay any attention.

Then Zordon's voice echoed over the speaker. _"Rangers, if you are able, please report to the main Chamber."_

Kat glared at the speaker, positive he had sounded amused.

They all left the lab and entered the main room where Zordon's shimmering energy column was housed.

_"As you know,"_ boomed their mentor. _"today is Rocky's last day here in Angel Grove."_ Everyone looked at the Blue Ranger.

_"I hope you have taken the past few days to say your goodbyes before his departure."_

"We have, Zordon." Adam assured him. Tanya patted her shirt pocket and rattled the Skittles inside.

_"That is good. Rocky, please step forward and face me."_

Rocky obliged.

_"Blue Ranger, you have served this planet exceptionally during your time with as a member of the team. From the day so long ago when you were still a normal civillian, and helped the rangers save an innocent toddler, to the day you adopted the Blue Zeo Powers, you have been consistently loyal, willing and reliable. You've never strayed consciously from the Rangers' Code of Conduct, and hundreds of beings are alive today solely because of your diligence."_

Rocky listened quietly, head lifted at a proud angle. His hands were clasped in front his body and he was aware of his friends' eyes on him.

Zordon continued. _"I am exceptionally proud of you, Rocky. You will be remembered here with honor for all time. Please hold out your hands."_

The Blue Ranger did so, extending his open hands before him. A bolt of electricity streaked out from Zordon's column and connected with Rocky's palm. It didn't hurt a bit, only tingled and set his hair on end. After a moment, a large, multi-faceted crystal appeared in his hands.

_"This is not a Zeo Crystal, merely a memento of sorts."_ Zordon explained. _"If you examine it, you will see it bears the Tyrannosaurus icon, the Red Dragon icon, the Ninjetti Ape icon, the Zeo Ranger III Triangle, and the Zeo Sphinx Zord icon on its facets."_

Turning the glistening crystal in his hands, Rocky found it to be true. All the icons he had ever held were frosted into the crystal's many facets. He was dazzled and delighted by the gift.

"..thanks, Zordon..." was all he could think of to say. The other Rangers surrounded him to look at the impressive gift.

_"You are most welcome. All the other departed Rangers--Zack, Trini, Aisha, Kimberly, Jason, and Billy--have each received similar items as keepsakes, commemorating their service to this world."_

The Rangers marveled at the shimmering thing. "Wow."

_"..and now, Rocky."_ Zordon boomed. _"Prepare to release to me the Power of Zeo Ranger III...!"_

The Rangers jumped back as a larger bolt of electricity struck Rocky's chest. He gasped and closed his eyes as he felt the Blue Power flowing from him.

Adam watched with wide eyes as the Power was absorbed into Zordon's energy column. The noise was deafening and stray threads of power flitted everywhere. He shared a sad glance with the others. This was the end of their friend's adventures with them.

But at that moment, things went terribly wrong.

In a flash of strangely black light, a Ranger appeared nose to nose with the oblivious Rocky. This was like no Black Ranger they had ever seen, and she seemed to emanate evil in her purple-eyed, unidentifiable helmet.

"What the..." Tommy broke away from the other three Rangers and shouted, "Rocky, look out...!" but he wasn't fast enough. The Black Ranger thrust a hand into the stream of energy and clenched her gloved fist. At the motion, Rocky spasmed and threw his head back as the energy flow turned dangerously high.

Tommy charged up to knock them apart, but was thrown backward by the powerful energy coursing through Rocky's body. He hit the computer bank behind him with a painful impact.

The energy stream was fluttering unsteadily. Zordon could do nothing to assist because now the strange Black Ranger was controlling the flow. Then she reached up with the other hand, made another fist, and jerked them apart in a severing motion.

The beam vanished and Rocky dropped, unconscious.

The Black Ranger scanned the room for the first time, gazing at each of the unmorphed Rangers faces. And then, she disappeared. All was quiet for a moment. Then Tanya, Adam and Kat rushed forward to where Rocky lay. Adam and Tanya knelt, calling his name.

"Rocky! Hey Rocko, speak to me!" Tanya shouted.

"Is he alive?" Adam asked as she leaned over his body, putting her ear over his mouth. "..he's breathing." she said finally.

Kat watched them in horror. She had forgotten all about her hangover. Then she heard Tommy groan behind her. She turned and saw him propped against the computer bank, trying, with painful difficulty, to sit up.

She moved over to him and knelt. "Where are you hurt?" she asked, helping him get upright.

He wasn't able to respond. His body was still stunned. He sat panting shallowly with his eyes closed and Kat looked over her shoulder at the others.

One question burned in her mind as she thought of her two hurting friends.

_Why?_


	2. Chapter Two

"Just Doing My Job"   
By N. E. Shaw

* * *

"Who was she?" Tommy whispered as he lay on the bed where Kat had been before. His voice was weak and a little hoarse, but he hadn't been injured badly.

"We don't know." said Kat. "She left no teleportation signature. Even something from the Machine Empire would've done that."

Tommy closed his eyes and thudded his head gently against the padded bed. Then he asked, "How's Rocky?"

Adam looked up from beside Rocky's bed on the other side of the room. He gave a frustrated shrug and a shake of his head.

"He'll be alright." Kat assured him, hoping she was correct.

Adam took up the small hand-held computer and ran it over Rocky's body for the dozenth time. He brushed a lock of curly black hair out of his face and peered into the readout.

_Heart rate: elevated. Respiratory: elevated and shallow. BP: high. Brain electrical activity:..._

Adam furrowed his brow. The readouts claimed that Rocky's brain was in REM sleep, the stage of sleep in which humans dream. Rocky seemed to be in a state of intense dreaming, but everything else his brain wasn't using had shut down. No speech, no motor control....it was like nothing Adam had ever seen. He looked past the computer at his friend.

Rocky lay quite still except for his eyes, which were rolled back in his head with the lids fluttering rapidly. There was also a tennis-ball sized burn mark on his chest from the electrical beam.

Adam sighed in frustration and went back to his computer. He had to find out what the Black Ranger had done to Rocky.

Tanya entered the room at that moment. She had something in her hand. She glanced at Tommy and Kat briefly and came up to Adam.

"Look at this." she said urgently. She held a test-tube with some powdery black stuff in the bottom of it.

"Dirt." Adam observed.

Tanya corrected him. "_Ashes._ They were scattered on the floor where she was standing."

Kat came over to them and looked at the tube. "Do you think they could help us find out who she is?"

"Well, that's what I was thinking. If they're from her skin they might contain DNA, but if they're from her suit or her glove or something they may not do us a thing."

"Well at least it's a start." Adam said. "Let's give it to Alpha and see what he can do." He took the test tube and left the room at a rapid clip.

Arriving in the Power Chamber, Adam was startled to see Zordon's column empty. He stopped in his tracks and stared. He had been so focused on Rocky after the incident that he hadn't given a thought to Zordon.

"Alpha...what happened to him?" he asked, concern in his voice.

The robot replied in a somber tone. "He is resting. The disruption in the power transfer caused him considerable damage and he cannot afford to waste energy maintaining the visual with us."

"Oh." Adam was slightly relieved. Then he remembered why he was there. "Alpha, did Tanya show you this?"

"Show me? Why no. I was just in the hangar bay."

"She says it's ashes, and we think they're from that Black Ranger. Is there a way you can analyze what they're made of?"

"Of course I can. Let me see it." Alpha took the tube and shuffled over to a computer bank. He set the tube in a round slot and touched a keypad. The tube glowed as it was scanned.

"Now, this screen should tell us what chemical components make up your sample. Hmmmm...."

"What?"

"Tri-fillium athorbinate, and-- now, that's interesting..."

"What!"

"Traces of dio-polymer alloy. Isn't that surpri-- well, well, well...."

_"What!!"_ Adam shouted and the robot jumped. Then he explained.

"These ashes are compiled of almost the same components as your Zeo suits."

Adam blinked. _She really was a Ranger?_ "What do you mean 'almost'."

"There is a trace of another, unfamiliar substance here." 

"What kind of substance?"

"Well it contains sulphur, but as near as I can tell, it seems to be organic."

Adam's eyes widened. They finally had a clue! But then he stopped, the answer coming to him in the form of disappointment.

"It must be from the burn on Rocky's chest." He sighed, regretting the loss of a lead. Alpha looked at the readouts. "From Rocky? No, I don't think--"

Zordon appeared at that moment, cutting Alpha off.

_"Alpha, Adam....what is the current state of affairs?"_ His voice sounded slightly weaker than normal, but those present pretended not to notice.

"The Power Chamber suffered no major damage as a result of the incident." Alpha reported. All equipment and computer systems are running at 98.7% efficiency at this time."

_"What condition are Rocky and Tommy in?"_

Adam fielded that one. "They're alive. Tommy's conscious and recovering from a moderate impact-- no concussion."

_"And Rocky?"_ Zordon's voice was tinged with concern.

The Green Ranger sighed. "We honestly don't know. Unconscious, with half his systems running overtime and half of them shut down completely. I don't know what to do for him."

_"Please do not worry, Adam."_ Now Zordon was reassuring. _"We will find our answers soon. In the meantime, I have something to report myself."_

* * *

Zordon explained the strange phenomenon he had detected while out-of-touch with the Power Chamber. He instructed Adam, Tanya and Kat to go investigate. Tommy, back on his feet, was to stay behind and rest some more. Zeo Ranger V scowled at this order but didn't argue.

Now the three Rangers were morphed and cautiously making their way to a decrepit warehouse in the Angel Grove industrial park. They weren't sure exactly what they were looking for, but Adam's computer had picked up a faint signal for them to follow.

"What's the deal, Adam?" Kat asked as they entered the huge, dark building.

Adam studied the screen and pointed without looking up. "There." he said. "On the other side of the building. In that office up there." Now he raised his head and they all turned up the resolution on their visors to take a look.

They stood in the huge open doorway at one end of the dark warehouse. On the far wall at the other end was a large window almost twenty-five feet up. It overlooked the giant building's interior from it's great height, and the Rangers assumed it was the supervisors office. A soft, slowly-throbbing blue light could be seen illuminating the inside.

"Come on..." Adam said, and they made for the other side of the room.

They crossed the dirty floor with silent, soft steps, and never took their eyes off the window and the glowing light. Soon they reached the other side, and headed for a door which seemed lost in the wide expanse of wall. Stepping protectively ahead of the others, Tanya reached out slowly and opened the door.

Beyond it, there was only a staircase leading upward.

It was harder to be quiet on the creaking wooden stairs but they did the best they could, and soon arrived at a landing and another door. They were at about the right height for the office that was their destination.

Adam moved to the door and rubbed the tarnished plate that was screwed into its surface.

"Supervisor's Office.'" he whispered, reading the plate. Kat nodded. "Can we call 'em or what?"

Readying themselves for what might lie ahead, the Rangers glanced at one another, took a deep breath, and burst through the door, dropping into fighting stances before they even saw where they were.

Fortunately, there was nothing there to fight.

The office contained only an old, bare desk with an even older lamp on it, a small wooden chair, a metal file cabinet and a large amount of dust. But the Rangers had only just finished taking inventory of those items when they spotted what they were looking for.

There was a pulsating, slimy green membrane stretched across a hole in the far corner, on the floor. It was the size of a large bicycle tire. It was lit from behind with the bluish glow they had seen, and as the Rangers moved closer, they saw that it was covered with a trembling, gelatinous substance. It seemed to breathe as it contracted and expanded in a slow, rhythmic fashion. There was a faint smell of rotten eggs.

The Rangers knelt before it, staring in fascination. Finally, one of them broke the silence.

"That," Adam declared. "is _really_ disgusting..."

Tanya gulped. "I think I'm going to upchuck."

Kat chimed in, "What she said."

Adam nudged Kat with his elbow. "I dare you to touch it." the Green Ranger challenged.

"In your dreams, Kermit."

"Come on, you still owe me, remember?"

"Why don't you touch it?"

"Um..."

Kat's glove sounded at that moment with a familiar series of tones. "Saved by the bell..." she sighed. "Kat here. Go ahead."

_"Kat, what's going on?"_ Tommy asked. _"I can't get a visual of your position."_

"Well, we've kinda found something...." Zeo Ranger One began, hesitating to define for Tommy what they were seeing. "It's..a...a...help me out guys?"

Tanya leaned over and spoke flatly into the speaker. "It's a glowing, throbbing, disgusting puddle of puke. What else do you need to know?"

Tommy was silent a moment. _"That's good enough for me."_

But then Zordon came on with urgency in his voice. _"Rangers, I have just detected a life form in your area. Please be advised and prepare yourself."_ Again, the trio whirled around and snapped into ready postures, not knowing what to expect.

"Where?" Kat asked, uptight and puzzled. There was no sign of any movement in the office and no sound came from the stairwell outside.

_"I am sorry, Rangers. It is gone now."_ Zordon apologized. Adam dropped his guard and blew out his breath in frustration.

_"I must be experiencing a malfunction. Forgive me for alerting you unnecessarily."_

"It's okay Zordon." said Tanya. "Come on, guys. There's nothing more to do here." And they all raised their communicators and teleported out.

The office grew silent. Then a new faint, bluish glow appeared outside the door. A smooth puddle of incandescent slime slithered under the crack and extended a tendril into the air, searching for any threats. Finding no danger, it oozed onto the desk and solidified into the form of a perfectly accurate telephone. It sat there a moment, then poured itself onto the floor and formed a garbage can. When that was done, it melted down again and slithered over to the corner, merging with the glowing mass. The mass glowed brighter and began to throb faster in response, and a strange hum filled the room.

The mass sat contentedly in the corner, happily pondering its next move.

* * *

Tommy was pacing the floor when they arrived.

"What did you find down there?" he asked. "Its energy emissions totally blocked the visual sensors."

Kat walked past him, removing her helmet. "You don't want to know." she said.

He furrowed his brow in puzzlement.

She took a deep breath. "It was a weird, glowing, throbbing mass of slimy stuff sitting in the corner, with a membrane stretched across it. It stank like rotten eggs, and looked like something Nickelodeon might try and sell to the nation's children."

Tommy whistled low. "That's bad." he said. "Anyways, I found something too. Come see this."

He beckoned them over to a computer and called up a screen. He tapped a few buttons and a graph appeared. The line was two thirds of the way up the scale, and relatively level, until it reached the "May" mark.

"Here." he said, pointing. "This graph shows the amount of power being emitted from the Machine Empire over the last three months."

"Wow." said Tanya. "For the last two, they've been running on nothing but the bare essentials."

"Right, and it started just after _this_ happened." He changed the screen and they saw a sharp spike in an otherwise low, flat line. "This is the energy surge from a mid-sized meteor that fell in the desert just days before the power decrease."

Adam was puzzled. "What do they have to do with each other?"

Tommy set his jaw. "That's what we have to find out."

The computer beeped and Alpha looked up triumphantly. "Finally!" he said.

"What is it Alpha?"

"I've completed my analysis on the ashes Tanya found. The unknown substance is not made of Rocky's DNA. It's Morpheonic Fluid!"

"It's _what?_" everyone asked.

"Morpheonic Fluid." Alpha repeated.

Kat rolled her eyes. "We heard you the first time Alpha. What the hell is Morpheonic Fluid?"

"The stuff that makes up the race of shape-shifters on the planet Morpheon. They are of the same origin as Morphological beings such as Ivan Ooze, and they have the ability to alter their shape and appearance at will, like he could."

Adam shuddered. "Don't remind me. But what does have to do with Rocky, and a disgusting blob in somebody's office?"

Zordon cut in. _"I cannot explain the link with Rocky, but the Morpheonites cannot survive without a special 'nest' that they return to at regular intervals."_

"That sounds just revolting enough to be the thing we found." said Tanya.

Tommy's eyes shone with realization, and he began to think out loud. "Maybe the Black Ranger is this Morpheonic being. That would explain everything that was in the ashes Tanya found. The meteor could be how she arrived on Earth, and maybe she went to the abandoned building to set up housekeeping and build her nest..."

"Then what's up with King Mondo and the Machine Empire? Why did they take this as a cue to jump on the energy conservation bandwagon?" Adam asked.

Kat suggested the answer to that one. "Maybe they thought this Morpheonite had a better chance of icing us than they did, and decided to sit back and not interfere....but then again, it doesn't sound like King Mondo to let someone else hog all the glory."

_"It does not matter."_ said Zordon. _"What matters is that we locate the Morpheonite as soon as possible. They are not a violent or malicious race, but they can be brutal, and deadly, enemies."_

Tommy nodded, his eyes flaming with determination. "Alpha, call up whatever information you can find on these Morpheonic beings, and any weaknesses they may have. We're going back to find that nest. If we can destroy it, the Black Ranger won't have any place to recharge her batteries and she might just leave."

Kat grabbed his arm. "Wait a minute. Are you sure you're up to a fight?"

"I'll be fine." he reassured her, "I've fought in worse condition than this."

"When the stakes were higher, sure."

He looked at her intensely. "What stakes are higher than Rocky's life?"

She blinked. Then closed her mouth and nodded.

Tommy morphed before their eyes, and then Zordon spoke to them one more time.

_"I caution you to be careful, Rangers. A mature, skilled Morpheon can take on and maintain almost any shape imaginable. They will try to deceive you with this skill and you must be on your guard."_

"We'll be ready." said Tommy, determinedly. "Let's move."


	3. Chapter Three

"Just Doing My Job"   
By N. E. Shaw

* * *

It was night time now. The four Zeo Rangers made their way across the floor of the warehouse with Tommy in the lead. They kept an eye on the office window up ahead and padded cautiously toward it.

Tanya kept all her senses on high alert as she moved along. All of a sudden she didn't even trust the stray crates that were scattered here and there, collecting dust. Through her helmet visor, she glanced at Kat and Adam who were walking alongside her. They appeared as they would with the naked eye, except for a vibrant colored streak pulsing inside them. All of them had set their visors on HeatSeek in the hopes that it would help them see the Morpheonite even if she was masquerading as something else.

Tanya saw Adam glance her way and intuitively knew what expression he wore.

They were all thinking the same thing, in fact. They were thinking about Tommy and this drive he was feeling to rectify the whole situation. It was characteristic of him to feel responsible for their safety, and they knew that once Tommy Oliver had a problem, nothing short of incapacitation would get him off solving it. But now he was about to go hurtling into an incredibly dangerous situation without having fully recovered from his last injury. It was reckless, and Adam, Kat and Tanya all agreed to keep an eye on their leader over the next few hours.

Now they had almost reached the door. When they were just ten feet away, Tommy motioned for them to stop, eyeing the door and glancing briefly up at the window.

"Wait here..." he said.

Adam snorted. "Are you nuts? No way are we letting you go up there alone."

Tommy looked back over his shoulder at the Green Ranger. "One of us should go up and try to destroy the nest, while the others watch out for things down here." he insisted. Adam shook his head, about to protest, but his communicator beeped, cutting him off.

"Go ahead." he responded.

_"Rangers, I have information for you on the Morpheonite."_ Zordon said. _"Tommy's guesses were right. She did travel to earth via the meteor which Alpha is now examining here in the Power Chamber."_

"You brought it there?" Kat marveled.

_"Yes, what is left of it at least. Much of it was burned away upon entry into this atmosphere."_

Zordon was not finished. _"There is something else. Over the last few weeks, the Angel Grove Police Department has recorded numerous Suspicious Persons incidents, as well as other miscellaneous events that could be the responsibility of our visitor."_

Kat and Tanya locked eyes, both thinking the same thought.

"The dance..." they said in unison.

Zordon confirmed, _"Yes, I believe there was an incident in which the high-school dance committee complained of mischief at one of their events."_

"Mischief, alright." Tommy murmured, discreetly glancing at the girls. "Anything else?"

_"Only that I seem to be experiencing technical difficulties, and I cannot reliably use the sensors to alert you of danger. You are, in effect, on your own."_

"No problem, Zordon." he said. "Thanks for the update. Tommy out."

He turned to the others. "You heard what he said. The Morpheonite has been out making trouble, and the sensors are malfunctioning. I need as many people as possible standing guard down here, making sure she doesn't come back."

"But Tommy, come on..." Kat tried to reason, but he shook his head.

"Just keep your visors peeled. I'll be back down soon."

With that, he turned and left them, deliberately not giving them a moment more of his attention.

* * *

Tommy slipped through the door and found himself in a dim stairwell. The whitewashed walls were dirty and bare, and gave him nothing to work with, strategically. He stared upward as he began to climb the steps, moving slowly and keeping on the alert.

When he arrived at the landing, he saw the door and the plaque, just as Kat had described to him. With a quick look around, he took hold of the knob and began to run through, in his mind, as many different attack situations as he could in just a few moments--but he realized the possibilities were endless. She could fight him as any being in the universe, including one a thousand times as powerful as he was.

There was no more time to waste. He took a step back, and then thrust his foot out, kicking the door off it's hinges.

* * *

Down on the warehouse floor, Kat threw up her hands and turned away from the others.

"Great! This is just wonderful!" she lamented angrily.

Tanya put her hand on her hip and chucked a thumb at the door where Tommy had gone. "Am I the only one who thinks we let him get away with way too much?"

Adam leaned close and patted her arm reassuringly. She wasn't alone.

Then his glove beeped. "This is Adam, go ahead."

It was Tommy. _"Guys, I'm in the office. I can see the... the whatever it is, but there's no sign of anybody up here."_

"Are you sure?" Tanya asked, meaningfully.

_"Positive. There's only the desk, the lamp, the chair, the file box, and the teletype machine."_

"Teletype machine?" all three repeated.

There was no response.

"Tommy...?"

All at once, they heard a piercing shattering sound, and Tommy's body smashed through the window high above them. He plummeted down from the office in a sparkling hail of broken glass.

The Rangers instantly shielded themselves from the rain of shards, and a few meters away, the Red Ranger slammed into the ground with a sickening thud. Looking up, they saw the Black Ranger standing in the window, unmasked to reveal a lovely young face, cold blue eyes, and long, flowing white hair. She stared down at them emotionlessly.

Kat jumped up and rushed to Tommy's side. She gingerly removed his helmet, trying not to move him too much, and asked, "How bad?"

Through gritted teeth, he said, "Told'ya I'd be right back down." Then he stiffened as a wave of pain overtook him.

The low, genderless voice of the Morpheonite echoed down to them.

"Zeo Rangers, I am Gh'ess Piah, Bounty Hunter. I have come to destroy you and collect the reward on your heads." Her words were flat and matter-of-fact. "Please oblige and allow me to complete my task without undue inconvenience."

But Katherine rose slowly from her crouch with fury in her voice. "Not on your life. If you want us dead," she challenged, "..you're going to have to work for it!"

Taking a defensive position around Tommy, Adam, Kat and Tanya watched as the bounty hunter leaped from the high window and landed effortlessly on the warehouse floor. Slowly, she straightened and stretched out her left hand.

Before the Rangers eyes, her forearm liquefied and formed a long, sharp, solid sword-blade. In addition, Piah's skin hardened and became cement-like armor. She then began to advance on them confidently.

Standing at point, Kat dropped her stance and raised her guard, preparing to defend a complicated bit of swordplay. Instead, when Piah got within range, she simply raised her sword-arm and swung it swiftly down at the Pink Ranger's shoulder.

Surprised, Kat ducked and rolled backward, avoiding her arm being severed. She came up a few feet away. _It can't be that simple, can it?_ she thought.

Taking advantage of an awkward moment, Adam leaped in to counter-attack. He exchanged a string of swift, powerful blows with the enemy before finally catching a knee in the ribs and being forced to retreat. Then Tanya stepped in.

She kept Piah busy with rapid, agile attacks while Adam and Kat reconstructed their barrier in front of Tommy.

The battle had begun.

* * *

Tommy had felt something snap in his lower back, after the sickening drop from the office window. Now, even the slightest movement of his head caused severe, stabbing pain and he was afraid he had taken permanent damage.

He listened, in mental anguish, to the sounds of the battle. Every once in a while, he caught glimpses of his friends out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't see much, but he could tell the Rangers weren't going to be able to hold out much longer.

Gritting his teeth again, he began to lift his left arm towards his head. Pain shot through him like icy arrows, but he kept trying. When his wrist was close enough to his face, he shouted into the open communicator channel.

"Power Chamber! Zordon...can you hear me?"

_"We read you Tommy. What is happening down there?"_

"The Morpheonite attacked! I'm hurt and the others need help fast!"

There was no answer.

"Zordon--!" He was cut off by another stab of pain in his back.

_"Acknowledged, Red Ranger."_ Zordon finally answered. _"Alpha was just about to contact you with a possible vulnerability in the alien that you can take advantage of. Do not fear. We still have an ace up our sleeve."_

"Alright, just hurry....they need you!"

Nearby, Tanya took a blow to the kidneys and retaliated with a disabling foot-sweep that put the Bounty Hunter on the floor. But Piah simply got up again, totally unfazed by the setback. Up until now, she had been softening the blows she took by literally softening the area that got hit. It had kept her from suffering any real damage whatsoever.

Tanya groaned. "Don't you ever quit?"

Flatly, Piah replied "No," and kicked at the Yellow Ranger's shin with her cement-like foot.

Tanya skipped backwards and then stopped a wide hook-punch coming at her head from the left. But before she could think again, she glimpsed the blade-arm slicing horizontally towards her from the right. She cringed, waiting to feel her right arm being severed at the deltoid.

But instead, she felt only a swift slap as the flat of the blade smacked into her shoulder. She opened her eyes to see that Adam had grabbed Piah's arm from behind and twisted it just in time.

But now Gh'ess's attention focused on him.

She threw Tanya aside like a toy, and let her sword-arm and shoulder melt, trapping Adam's hands. Then she brutally sunk her rock-hard shin into the side of his thigh.

With a yelp, Adam dropped to the ground, clutching his leg in agony.

From a few meters away, Kat cringed as she saw this. Adam had taken the hit square on the lateral femoral nerve, which ran down the outer thigh. She knew that when a blow is sunk into this nerve, it causes a total motor dysfunction in the limb. Adam's leg literally wouldn't work for a while--not to mention how much pain he was in now.

Angrily, Kat charged at Piah from behind. The bounty hunter was just resolidifying herself when the Pink Ranger's boot slammed into her back. Piah reeled and stumbled forward, hitting the floor and smashing into a dozen pieces.

Tanya and Kat quickly turned and rushed over to Adam. He lay on his side, still clutching his leg with both hands.

Tanya removed his helmet. His eyes were squeezed shut and he was holding his breath against the pain. "Adam, are you--" she began, but Kat glared at her.

"Okay, stupid question. Just hang in there, ok...?" she looked back over her shoulder to see all the chunks of Gh'ess Piah liquefying again, and sliding toward a central point where they became one again.

"What do we do now?" Kat asked, taking the moment to catch her breath.

"I don't know." Tanya panted. They were between the bounty hunter and their two fallen friends, but they knew they didn't constitute much of a barrier. Adam was finally able to relax his body enough to breathe, and he commented, "I wish the Terminator was here. He'd know what to do."

They rose as Piah finished pulling herself together, and the Green Ranger began to drag himself back toward where Tommy lay.

Kat and Tanya waited for Piah to speak.

"You are formidable opponents." she said. "I underestimated your strength and endurance by a surprising margin."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Kat growled.

Piah ignored her. "I had assumed I was working for easy money, but this challenge has a pleasant surprise."

Tanya snapped, "Yeah, it was our pleasure too."

"But now I fear this must come to an end. I regret we were destined to meet on these terms, for I would have greatly enjoyed fighting with you on the same side."

She took a step forward and Kat and Tanya dropped into stances again.

However, one step was all the bounty hunter would have time for.

In a familiar burst of energy, a figure appeared right behind Piah. It was Rocky.

He looked drained, and was in no condition to fight, but he held a threatening hypodermic needle in his hand. It was filled with the thin, grey hangover remedy.

"Excuse me," he said to Piah. "but you have a chip on your shoulder. Lemme help." And he stuck the needle into the side of her neck. Apparently, it was the right spot because the shape-shifter then let out a deafening, unearthly roar of surprise. Right away, she began to melt. Screaming, she rapidly liquefied until nothing was left but a dull puddle of dark blue slime at Rocky's feet.

Tanya and Kat stared in mouth-open astonishment. So did Adam, and Tommy looked like he wanted to. Gh'ess Piah was no more, and it was all because of Rocky and one dose of hangover medicine.

Now Rocky met their looks. His eyes were tired, but they glinted with humour.

"What? I've saved all your butts before, haven't I?" and with those words, he fell to his knees in exhaustion. Tanya and Kat dashed over to him.

"Rocky! My god! How did--" Kat started to say.

"What are you doing here? Are you--" Tanya began, but they were both cut off by a low groan from the puddle.

Gh'ess's head had re-emerged, and now it sat in the sticky muck as though her body was in a deep hole beneath it.

"Zeo Rangers..." she gurgled. "..you have defeated me....how is that possible?"

Rocky found himself on-the-spot. Everyone in the room wanted to know the answer to that one.

"Well...we didn't, actually. We defeated the alcohol-induced hangover."

Gh'ess showed understanding. "Ah, of course. You realized that the Morpheonic fluid I am made of consists largely of alcohol; just as your carbon-based bodies contain a large amount of H2O. Brilliant thinking."

A sheen appeared on her face and they realized she was on her "last legs".

"Wait a minute...." said Tanya. "who was offering the reward you wanted?"

"A race known as the Tivanik." Gh'ess said, without hesitation. "They are a weak-willed and feeble species, who hire others to fight their battles for them."

"What do they have against us?"

"They do not believe any small group has the right to possess the amount of power you do. Even though there are many evil groups in the universe with just as much, you fight for good and, in theory, should have been easiest to defeat. Their theory was wrong."

Kat shook her head in puzzlement. "But if they're just a bunch of simpering hypocrites, why did you agree to work for them?"

Gh'ess deadpanned. "They are extremely wealthy hypocrites."

She began to slip away. Tanya had one more question. "What did you do to the Machine Empire?"

As she faded into nothing, the bounty hunter whispered, "..they were in my way....so I removed them..."

Then she was gone, leaving them to wonder what on Earth that could mean.

"Guys...?" Tommy called weakly. They looked back to where he and Adam were waiting, and helped Rocky over. Right away, Kat knelt and placed both hands on the sides of Tommy's head to hold him still.

"Don't move." she ordered softly. He looked at her, amused. "Not a problem." Then he turned his eyes to Rocky.

"Rocky, man. How'd you do it?"

"I didn't do anything. Alpha put all the pieces together before I even woke up, and when you guys finally got in trouble, he sent me with the needle. We'll fill you in later. The important thing is that we get you two back to the MedLab."

The others agreed, and prepared to teleport.

Rocky glanced back over his shoulder just before he disappeared. What was left of Gh'ess Piah lay in a thick, spreading pool ten feet away.

With a somewhat less grim look than the others wore, he sent a silent farewell out to the creature whom he had just destroyed.


	4. Chapter Four

"Just Doing My Job" By N. E. Shaw

* * *

The Rangers materialized on the Power Chamber, and looked up to see two halves of a beach-ball-sized rock sitting in a large basin in the center of the room.

The whole place stank like rotten eggs.

Kat made a disgusted face and shrank back from the smelly thing.

"Oh!" Alpha said, looking up from where he was taking a sample. "I forgot, the smell of sulphur is unpleasant to humans." He shuffled over to the computer and turned on the oxygen purification system. The smell began to fade.

_"Where is the Morpheonite?"_ Zordon asked.

"Dead." said Tanya. "She's lying in a puddle on the warehouse floor. Whatever you had Rocky do to her, it did the trick."

Then Kat spoke from where she knelt with Tommy. "Could we possibly have a little help here?"

The other Rangers made room and Alpha hurried to the MedLab to get a force-field immobilizer. He strapped it to Tommy's arm and activated it, and Tommy sucked in a breath, suddenly feeling pressure around his neck and shoulders. "It's okay," Kat soothed. "it won't strangle you."

She held his hand and they teleported away to the MedLab, taking Alpha with them.

"What is that?" Tanya asked, rising and cautiously approaching the meteor.

Zordon answered, _"This is the vehicle in which the Morpheonite--"_

"Gh'ess." Rocky supplied.

_"Yes--in which Gh'ess traveled to Earth. She remained in her natural, liquid state in the compartment at the heart of the meteor, while the journey took place. Then she emerged through the escape tube at the edge."_

Tanya, Rocky, and Adam looked at the cross-sectioned rock. There was a hollow at the center of both halves, and a channel ran from the compartment to the outer edge. The walls were coated in the same gelatinous stuff that had been in the nest.

"Originally, the meteor was much larger than this, but the Earth's atmosphere burned away much of it upon entry."

Adam shook his head as he tried to stand. Rocky and Tanya had to help him, and he they set him against one of the computer banks so he could take the weight off his leg. He rubbed it, wincing. "The feeling's starting to come back." he said. Then he looked up at his friends. "That's a bad thing."

"What happened to you?" Rocky asked.

Tanya replied. "There was a big fight. Gh'ess gave Adam the old 'shin-to-the-femoral-nerve' bit."

"Ouch..." Rocky flinched, knowing what that felt like. "What about Tommy?"

"She gave him the knock-'em-through-a-plate-glass-window-and-let-'em-fall-two-stories- to-the-concrete-floor' bit." said Adam.

"Oh."

"He would have broken every bone in his body if he hadn't been morphed when he fell." Tanya shook her head. "I think we came away lucky today."

"Speak for yourself." said Adam.

Then Zordon spoke to them. _"I would like a full oral report on this incident recorded in the computer files. Each one of you is missing certain pieces of the puzzle and I suggest you hold a conference to help you fill in the blanks. In the meantime, I will take care of the nest and the bounty hunter's remains."_

"Good idea." said Tanya. "I am totally confused about what went on here. And what did Gh'ess mean about the Machine Empire? Could she really have _removed_ them?"

"I don't know." Rocky replied. "But I sure wouldn't put it past her."

"Amen to that." Adam nodded.

They shook their heads, remembering their incredible opponent. For now, they were all just glad that battle was over.

* * *

Kat finished setting up the bed monitor program. She turned from her computer console and made her way over to the edge of Tommy's bunk, glancing briefly at the readout at his head. His eyes were closed but he was awake.

"Hey there, Wild Man..." she mimicked.

He smiled and opened his eyes to look at her, anticipating some teasing. "Looks like I'm in for a taste of my own medicine." he said.

"No, just a lecture." She became more serious. "What's up with you going out to fight before you were a hundred percent recovered? You could have been really hurt, you know."

"This isn't hurt enough for you?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "You know what I'm talking about, Tommy. It was a reckless thing to do, and you're smarter than that."

He sighed. "I know, I know. I just felt responsible for Rocky getting in trouble, and I wanted to make things better."

"You always feel responsible for our every little bump and bruise. Would you do that if we weren't your fellow Rangers?"

"Of course not, but you are. Zordon trusts me to look out for you, and as the leader of the Zeo Rangers, I'm not going to quit anytime soon."

Kat lowered her eyes, still not satisfied that her point was getting through.

"Tommy, you are our leader," she said quietly. "and as our leader, it's true you have to watch out for our safety. But we're supposed to do the same, and now I'm asking you to understand how much you scare me sometimes."

Tommy listened silently and she met his eyes again.

"You know I care about you alot, and I'm glad you care enough in return to watch over me and the others. But what's going to happen when you get yourself killed?"

There was no way he could answer that. He just gazed at her and realized her eyes had filled up with tears. Her voice didn't waver, she didn't break down, but he could see that the whole matter hurt her more than he'd ever imagined.

Now he found himself getting teary. "I...I'm sorry, Kat." was all he could whisper.

She bit her lip and looked down again, swallowing.

"C'mere..." he said finally, and pulled her down into an embrace. She laid her head on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, stroking her hair with a gloved hand and the tears began to flow.

They escaped the corners of Tommy's eyes and ran down the sides of his head, onto the low pillow. They formed a damp spot on his chest under Katherine's face. Neither one had anything left to say, nor did they feel like breaking the silence with more than soft sniffling sounds. Like before, they were too close, emotionally, to need words at a moment like this.

Finally, Kat raised her head and managed a gentle smile. Tommy took an shaky breath and let it out again. She fingered the wet place on his chest and gave a short laugh. "So much for Everything-Proof..."

He couldn't bend his head to look down that far, but he could feel the spot right over his heart. He sighed as she squeezed his hand. Then she leaned over and kissed him on the forehead.

Alpha, who had been totally silent the entire time, looked up, saw what was happening, and realized this was a good time to leave the room. He picked up his tools, stepped quietly away from the console, and discreetly teleported out.

* * *

_Command Center Computer Log:  
Date: seventeenth day of July, nineteen hundred and ninety seven (earth calendar)  
Time: twenty-one hundred hours (nine o'clock pm)  
Location: Command Center Conference room.  
Present: Zordon, Alpha V, Pink Ranger, Yellow Ranger, Green Ranger, Red Ranger, Rocky DeSantos._

-----

Alpha V: "Alright, Rangers. The recorder is running."

Zordon: "I will begin with the events that took place three months ago. A bounty hunter named Gh'ess Piah, a shape-shifter from the planet Morpheon, answers a summon from the Tivanik Spokesperson in charge of External Affairs. Piah is hired to travel to the planet Earth to destroy the Zeo Rangers. She is paid an advance reward of two point four million credits. Constructing a vehicle disguised as a common meteorite, she makes the journey in fourteen point seven days, and impacts on the surface in the state of California, USA. She locates a suitable place in which to build her nest--an abandoned storage building in the town of Angel Grove, where she believes the Power Rangers to be. Immediately, she discovers the presence of King Mondo and the Machine Empire, and uses an unspecified spell to temporarily freeze all activity there."

Rocky (whispered to Green Ranger): "She makes it look so easy..."

(Green Ranger stifles a laugh)

Zordon: "After that, she proceeded to cause minor disruptions and mischief around the city, hoping to draw the Zeo Rangers' attention. Among other things, she impersonates a Macrosoft executive, a police official, a Bengal tiger, a high-powered stereo amplifier, a teletype machine, and a highschool student."

(eye contact between Pink and Yellow Rangers)

Zordon: "Failing to attract the Rangers' notice, she plants a bugging device on the Pink and Yellow Rangers while they are at a party, and through this device, learns of the Blue Ranger's imminent departure. She breaks into the command center while the power transfer is taking place, disguised as a black ranger. She disrupts the transfer, sends the Blue Ranger into an unconscious state, minorly injures the Red Ranger, and damages my systems."

(Zordon turns to Rocky)

Zordon: "Rocky, will you please share with us what you experienced next?"

Rocky: "Sure. I was standing there, feeling all the Blue energy being sucked away, when there was this intense flash. All of a sudden, I couldn't feel my body anymore. It was like I was totally separated from where I had been. Then I...'woke up'...in this strange sort of landscape. Gh'ess was there. She told me she regretted not playing fair with me, but she had a mission to complete. I asked her what was going on, and she said I was in a dream-state where I'd stay as long as she needed me to. She also said the Power Transfer had been completed and I was now just a regular human being."

Zordon: "Go on."

Rocky: "It was really strange in there, the way time passed. I don't know how long it was, but it felt like ages. The whole time, she just been stood there, like she was guarding me against something. I talked to her and asked her what she was doing on here on Earth, and she told me all about her home world and stuff. I've recorded everything she told me in the computer already, by the way. It was weird, she actually started to grow on me. Then, she up and left. It was like she got distracted and had to go take care of something. The next thing I knew, I was drifting upward toward what looked like the surface of a pool. Then I woke up, and Alpha told me what was going on.."

Zordon: "At the time of the disruption, Gh'ess Piah put Rocky into a dreamlike state where most of his neurological systems would not work. It was a similar spell as the one she used on the Machine Empire. He was unconscious until she could no longer monitor him, and then his body began to return to normal."

Rocky: "Right...what he said. Anyway, when I found out what Gh'ess had done, I got really mad. I couldn t believe she'd do something like that. She seemed so....benevolent....in the dream. I didn't want to kill her, but it was the only way to save you guys, so when Alpha gave me the needle, I went down and did what he told me. I guess everything turned out for the best in the end. (pause) So really, what all happened while I was unconscious?"

Green Ranger: "After Gh'ess messed up the transfer, she just teleported out. It all went down so fast and we were left to try and figure out what had happened to you. We saw all the symptoms, but there wasn't a thing we could do about them. Tommy needed time to recover a bit too, so Kat and Tanya and I went to check out some weird energy readings Zordon was getting."

Zordon: "I had detected them while my visual image systems were deactivated. I had turned them off to concentrate all available energy to repairing the sensors, which had been severely damaged in the energy surge. During a test, I discovered strange organic readings that were not of this planet, but I was unable to collect any more information than that."

Pink Ranger: "So he sent us to go investigate."

Yellow Ranger: "We teleported to the warehouse and went up to the office, expecting to find...well, I don t know what we expected. Then we saw the nest."

Green Ranger: "Yeah...the nest."

Zordon: "I have brought the nest here and put it in stasis for later study. Do not worry, Alpha will perform that procedure."

(all participants sigh in unison)

Yellow Ranger: "Anyway, we found the thing and then Zordon warned us about a life form in the area. A second later, he said his sensors must have been screwing up again and we went home. But actually the sensors were fine, weren't they?"

Pink Ranger: "We went back and looked at the sensor logs, and what Zordon detected was Gh'ess morphing out of a disguise. She had been camouflaging herself on the stairway wall and we walked right past her when we went up. Apparently, she can hide herself from detection at all times except for a moment when she changes form. So, after we gave up on the thing, we came back here and Tommy told us what he'd found out about the Machine Empire. He showed us the graphs, and Alpha told us about the Morpheonic Beings, and we put a bunch of it together right there. We realized what the nest must have been and we went back, this time with our brave leader, Tommy, in command."

(Brief eye contact between Red Ranger and Pink Ranger. Pink Ranger smiles and looks away)

Pink Ranger: "We got to the warehouse and Tommy told us to wait while he went up by himself. Zordon called us to give us the rest of the info on the Morpheonite and gave Tommy the excuse he needed to convince us to stay behind. We let him go and weren't waiting five minutes before he came back down--the quick way."

Green Ranger: "What happened up there while you were gone, Tommy?"

Yellow Ranger: "Yeah, one minute you went in the little door, and the next you came out the big window."

Red Ranger: "I got up there and found the door just where you all said it would be. I stopped a second, trying to figure out what I was going to do if I got attacked, but there were way too many things that Gh'ess could have been morphed as. I figured I better just go in there and deal with things as they happened. I smashed the door in, thinking I'd get the jump on anybody in there but the room looked totally empty. I saw the nest in the corner right away..."

Yellow Ranger: "It's kinda hard to miss."

Red Ranger: "..and I saw you guys down below through the window. I called you up to tell you the place was empty, and let you know what was going on.

(sighs, shakes head)

Red Ranger: As soon as I said 'teletype machine' I realized it wasn't one of things you mentioned. Next thing I knew, there was a weird 'glorp' sound and I turned around to see this blonde girl in a Black Ranger suit standing right behind me. Before I could even think, she threw a wicked backhand and I went flying through the glass. I swear I don't remember the moment when I hit the ground, I just found myself lying there when Kat came over. I said something to her..."

Pink Ranger: "'Told'ya I'd be right back down.'"

Red Ranger: "..right...and then it felt like somebody was playing tug-o-war with my spine. I tried not to move much after that."

Zordon: "A short time later, I received his distress transmission. At the same time, Rocky was emerging from his unconsciousness and asking where everyone was. I decided he would be the best one to carry out the plan Alpha had devised."

(pause in dialogue)

Pink Ranger: "Alpha, you're blushing...!"

Green Ranger: "He is??"

Alpha V: "Well, I didn't really devise the plan. I just figured out about the alcohol content in Morpheonic Fluid, and realized we had the answer right before our eyes."

Rocky: "And being the only person available, guess who had to take it down and deliver it to the enemy?"

Zordon: "At this point, you were all reunited again, and you all know the story. With her last words, Gh'ess Piah revealed her contract with the race known as Tivanik, and disclosed the fact that she had blanketed the entire Machine Empire, including King Mondo himself, with a spell. Further examination has since revealed an ice-inducing spell encasing the entire empire. At its current rate, it will not fully melt for another 46 days."

Green Ranger: "A month and a half?!"

Red Ranger: "You didn't tell us that, Zordon!"

Pink Ranger (to Yellow Ranger): "You know what this means..."

Yellow Ranger (high-fiving Pink Ranger): "..vacation time!"

Zordon: "Yes, you will be able to take a break. A much-needed one, I might add, as some of you need time recover from injuries before resuming your duties."

(Pink Ranger elbows Red Ranger)

Red Ranger (whispered): "Ow! I'm injured, remember?"

Zordon: "I believe this concludes the report, Rangers. Is there anything else you would like to add?"

(pause)

Rocky: "Um...I would Zordon. .I just wanted to say, let's not put it on the record that Gh'ess was, like, the evil scourge of the universe or anything, okay?"

Zordon: "Why do you say that, Rocky?"

Rocky: "Well, when I was unconscious, and she was there guarding me, it was almost like we were...inside each other's heads. I could tell she wasn't doing this just for the sake of being evil. She was doing it because she was hired to, and it wasn't like she had anything personally against us. She even said she would have liked to have been fighting on our side. Am I making any sense?"

Green Ranger: "Rocky's right, Zordon, let's not flame her for doing her job. She was a pretty brutal enemy but I think she must have had her reasons for being in that line of work. What do you guys think?"

Yellow Ranger: "I'm with you."

Alpha V: "Yes, I concur."

Red Ranger (after a pause): "Yeah, that sounds good."

(all look to Pink Ranger. a long pause ensues. Pink Ranger looks at Red Ranger as she speaks)

Pink Ranger (whispered): "Alright. I'm game."

(Pink and Red Rangers clasp hands beneath table)

Zordon: "It is agreed then."

(all rise)

Zordon: "I thank you Zeo Rangers. I will see you after your vacation. And Rocky, since you are leaving within the next few hours, I wish you peace and good-fortune on all your future ventures."

Rocky: "Thanks Zordon. And...y'know...thank you,_ guys. I swear I wouldn't change the past couple years for anything."_

Pink Ranger: "Good luck, Rocky."

Yellow Ranger: "Take care of yourself."

Green Ranger: "Keep in touch, okay?"

Red Ranger: "Keep your head together, man. Thanks for everything."

Alpha V: "We'll miss you, Blue Ranger."

Zordon: "Goodbye, Rocky. And may the Power protect you...."

END LOG.

* * *

Author's Notes February 2002: This is the earliest fic I have on disk, and I am resisting the urge to apologize for it, but I thought it should be included here. Hopefully some of the better stories from later in my 'career' make up for it. 


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